Dr. Joshua Adams – Resources for Supporting Project Based Learning
“Data! Data! Data! I can’t make bricks without clay.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
In education, data is the clay used to create the bricks of teaching and learning. In this edition of the Faculty Spotlight, Dr. Joshua Adams discusses how project-based learning can be supported using data collection and analysis tools. There are a variety of methods, strategies, and tools which enable us to collect and analyze data for instructional purposes. Dr. Adams utilizes Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Services to achieve this instructional goal. He also highlights the benefit these tools can have for students and faculty conducting research in a variety of fields including, but certainly not limited to, business, education, health professions, math, science, and social sciences. Adams goes on to share how interested faculty can gain access, training, and support for these tools.
Project based learning is a pedagogy which requires students to actively engage in solving a problem or complex challenge. Through project based learning, students gain knowledge and sharpen the skills that are required for learning. One such skill is data collection and analysis. Modern technology offers us several tools, such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform, which rely on cloud computing technology for data collection and analysis.
Although cloud computing is not a familiar resource, Dr. Adams says faculty should not fear using it in their classroom. “Cloud computing is definitely impacting every industry out there.” says Adams. He has been participating in building cloud computing curriculum using tools from Microsoft and Google with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, Sacred Heart University, and the University of Glasgow in Scotland. This curriculum is being designed for implementation in all courses, regardless of topic. Adams argues that by implementing cloud concepts into as many courses as possible, students will gain valuable exposure to a technology they will undoubtedly encounter in their professional careers.
“Students don’t have a lot of resources locally. They may have a very limited Chromebook or very limited laptop which they can do things with. If we are utilizing cloud resources, they’re getting one experience using this technology and they don’t have to purchase some so really beefy desktop or laptop in order to actually do their lab experience or homework.” In response to this, students in Adams COM 203 – Computer Systems class use cloud technology to develop a website with little to no prior knowledge. Students use marketspaces offered by cloud computing providers to access how-to style learning spaces. Students take the instructions and follow the steps to creating a website. These tools also provide a back-end view of how websites are accessed and see a visual representation of how concepts discussed in class happen.
Cost is often a preventative factor when it comes to technology. Adams can obtain credits through the education programs at Microsoft and Google for his students to use in order to purchase the tools they need from the provider. These programs are not limited to computer science but are open and available for any faculty. These tools are useful across the many programs offered at Saint Leo including psychology students seeking to understand data collected from a study, marketing students wishing to analyze data from a marketing campaign, education students looking to collect and analyze student scores to plan next steps, and much more.
To discover how cloud computing technology can be useful in your area of study, watch Dr. Adams’ Base Camp presentation titled “Resources for Supporting Project Based Learning”.
Resources shared during Dr. Adams’s Base Camp can be found here:
- https://www.tableau.com/academic/teaching
- https://azureforeducation.microsoft.com/en-US/Institutions
- https://www.pblworks.org/why-project-based-learning
- https://cloud.google.com
- https://www.qwiklabs.com
- What’s nice about Qwiklabs, there are ‘Badges’ students can earn and display on Resumes and LinkedIn
- https://cloud.google.com/edu/researchers
- https://cloud.google.com/edu/faculty
- https://cloud.google.com/edu/
- https://colab.research.google.com/notebooks/intro.ipynb?utm_source=scs-index#recent=true
Dr. Kenneth Embry – Authentic Assessments and Classroom Culture
In this, the first edition of the Faculty Spotlight, we’ll discover the connection between authentic assessments and the culture in a classroom. Faculty who challenge their students to meet practical challenges with innovative solutions can also lay the foundation for a culture where critical thinking and problem solving are paired with communication and respect between students, their peers, and their professor. Dr. Kenny Embry, Associate Professor of Communication Management, uses these strategies in his communications courses. He brings to life a teaching philosophy where critical thinking skills, relationships, and a willingness to seek clarification are paramount.
